Educational apparatus



(No Model.) W. H. LEEK.

EDUGATION'AL APPARATUS. No. 476,468 Patented June 7, 1892.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EIcE.

IVILLIAM IIOIVARD LEEK, OF QUINCY, CALIFORNIA.

EDUCATIONAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,468, dated June '7,1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, WILLIAM HOWARD LEEK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quincy, Plumas county, State of California, have invented anImprovement in Educational Apparatus; and I hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention relates to a device which I call an educational apparatus.

It consists of a series of interchangeable vertical rollers with beltspassing around them,a driving mechanism and shafts to which the rollersare removably attached, and a means for exposing eithersurface of thebelt as it passes from one roller to the other, together with certaindetails of construction, which will be more fully explained by referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a horizontal sectionof my device. Fig. 2 is a front view with one side of the case brokenawayto show the construction.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by which a seriesof mathematical problems, words, sentences, or other educational mattermay be caused to pass slowly across one or more openings through whichthey may be seen during the time of passage only, for the purposes ofinducing the pupil to concentrate his mind upon the problem during thebrief time while it is passing and to correctly catch the combination offigures or words as they pass and rapidly complete the work to be donebefore another proposition appears.

In carrying out this invention I have in the present case shown a casingA, which may have one or more windows B, made in the side of it. Behindthese windows are vertical guide-rollers C and beyond these at each sideare the vertical drums D. These drums are adapted to receive belts E,which are wound upon them and are prevented from being displaced by theflanges F of the drums. The belts are of sufficient size to receivewords or figures which are large enough to be readily seen through theopenings in the side of the case from any part of the school-roo1n. Itis designed to make these belts wide enough to receive three or morefigures standing vertically one above the other. These belts areApplication filed February 27, 1892. Serial No. 423,087. (No model) madeof cloth, paper, or any flexible material suitable for receiving thefigures or words desired. The drums or cylinders upon which they arewound have openings made in each end. Beneath the lower end of each drumis journaled avertical shaft G, the upper end of which shaped opening inthe lower end of the drum. Above the upper ends of these drums are theelastic arms H, suitably secured at some point within the case and eachhaving one end proj ecting above the center of the upper end of one ofthe drums. To these elastic arms are fixed the short vertical shafts I,which extend into the upper ends of the drums and serve as guidesaboutwhich the drums turn loosely. By this construction I am enabled toremove the drums from the shafts and driving mechanism to reverse them,so that the opposite side of the belt may be exposed, thus enabling meto use both sides of the belt for matter which it is desired to exposeto the class, and several sets of belts may thus be used in differentstages of the work with one case and driving apparatus. These belts mayeither be fixed permanently to cylinders, so that each belt and itscylinder may be introduced into the apparatus as needed, or the beltsmay be disengaged and others placed upon the same cylinders.

In order to rotate the cylinders and cause the belts to travel from oneto the other, I have shown a clock-work mechanism .Lupon one of theshafts of which is fixed a pulley K. From this pulley a belt L passesaround a pulley N, which is fixed to the lower shaft of one of thecylinders.

O is a brake or stop mechanism by which the apparatus may be stopped atany desired point. By loosening this screw,which presses upon one of thewheel-shafts of the apparatus of the driving-gear, the latter is allowedto rotate. By turning the screw so that pressure is brought upon theshaft it will be stopped.

By means of this apparatus I am enabled, also, to regulate the speed atwhich the belts pass in front of the opening or openings, and thus keepthe matter upon the belt before the eyes of the pupil as long as may berequired. The speed is gradually quickened as they become accustomed tothe work, so that pupils will learn to take the proposition from the ismade polygonal to fit the correspondingly-- belt, work it rapidly, andbe ready to receive the next proposition when it appears before theopening. It enables the teacher to instruct a large number of pupils atone time with comparatively little labor and is valuable from the factthat the pupil must complete each piece of work as it appears before theopening or lose the opportunity altogether.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An educational device consisting of the case having one or moreopenings or windows upon one side, vertically-disposed reversible drumsand guide-rollers upon each side of the opening, a reversible belthaving figures and propositions imprinted upon each side, a mechanism bywhich the drums are caused to rotate, so as to transfer the belt fromone drum to the other and cause it to pass across the opening in thecase, and a mechanism by which the speed of the driving mechanism andthe movement of the belt across theop ening are regulated, substantiallyas herein described.

2. An educational device consisting of a case having one or moreopenings in one side, vertical removable and reversible drums with beltswound thereon, having propositions and figures marked upon the belts,guide-rollers by which the belt is caused to pass across the openingsfrom one drum to the other, a clockwork mechanism whereby the drums arecaused to rotate to move the belt across the opening, vertical shaftsjournaled in the lower part of the casinghaving the upper ends madepolygonal, adapted to engage corresponding openings in the centers ofthe lower ends of the drum, guide-shafts entering correspond ingopenings in the upper ends of the drums, and elastic arms upon whichthese guideshafts are mounted, whereby they may be lifted out and thedrums removed to reverse or replace the belts, substantially as hereindescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

.VILLIAM, HOWARD LEEK. \Vitnesses:

M. J. Goonwnv, G. G. CLoUcn.

